Seminarian Biography: Matthew Marshall

Matthew Marshall was born in Marshfield, WI on March 30, 1988 to John and Carol Marshall. Matthew was baptized at Christ the King parish in Spencer, WI and calls his home parish Our Lady of Peace in Marshfield.

Matthew attended Our Lady of Peace elementary school and then Holy Family middle school, both in Marshfield, before attending the Holy Cross Seminary House of Formation and graduating from Aquinas High School in 2006.

Matthew is currently a junior collegian at Saint John Vianney College Seminary and will graduate in 2010 with degrees in philosophy and classical languages. His ordination date is 2014.

Matthew's ecclesiastical interests include liturgy, scripture, spiritual theology, Latin, and the Lives of the Saints. Matthew's secular interests include cooking, hiking, biking, fishing, ping pong, Frisbee golf, and reading.

When asked about his favorite books, Matthew states Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury, Saints for Sinners by Alban Goodier, S.J., and the Foundation Series by Issac Asimov. When asked about his favorite music, Matthew states Vivaldi, Beethoven, Luciano Pavarotti, Collective Soul, The Temptations, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, as well as various classic rock and oldies songs.

Personal Autobiography

I first had the thought that I might want to be a priest when I was about seven years old according to my parents and a teacher.  I guess that I got an assignment where I was supposed to write about what would like to do as a job someday; I wrote that I wanted to be a priest.  I can remember watching my pastor at the time, Fr. James Logan, very intently and always wanting to know more and more about Jesus and about what priests were.  I as grew older and learned more about what a priest was and did I became more and more convinced that that was what God wanted me to do with my life.  I was never very vocal about my thoughts on priesthood following the second grade writing assignment, but the desire never left my heart.  I loved to think of a life of serving others and sharing the faith which I held so close to my heart. 

My pastor took notice to the strong devotion I had for the faith, the love I had for the Mass and prayer, and my joy while serving at Mass and when I was in the sixth grade he asked me if I would like to serve at a Confirmation Mass for Bishop Burke.  After Mass Bishop Burke asked me if I had ever thought about being a priest and I said that I had many times.  He invited me to come to an Evening with the Bishop and to Dare to Follow Days.  I had a great time at both events and decided to return to both the next year.  During Dare to Follow Days the summer before I entered eighth grade, I heard about the House of Formation and was very interested.  I figured that if I felt so strongly that God wanted me to be a priest, I should get started right away.  When I went home after the retreat and told my parents about high school seminary and said that I might like to go if they would let me.  They said that we would talk about it later and probably thought that I would not bring it up again, but the following summer I was asking the same question.

My parents and I talked it over and they eventually said that they would let me go down to the House of Formation.  I spent the next four years living at the House of Formation and attending Aquinas High School in La Crosse.  The House of Formation aims at aiding young men in their discernment by introducing them to a solid prayer life and showing them how to live as a good, Catholic man.  The House’s holistic approach of turning over every part of one’s life to Christ has been instrumental in my discernment process and has helped me to grow to be a much better man.  I graduated from the House of Formation and Aquinas High School in May of 2006.

Please keep me in your prayers as I continue to discern God’s will for me in life and may God bless you always.